Wreath-laying in Norwich honors fallen soldiers

NORWICH — The annual Wreaths Across America commemoration of the sacrifices of deceased veterans took place Saturday at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Taftville.

A light snow fell as about 30 participants gathered for the 20-minute ceremony, which began at noon.

Current and former servicemen and women took turns placing seven wreaths, representing Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines veterans, as well as prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action, in front of a monument to veterans.

Wreaths also were placed at the graves of all known servicemen and women in the cemetery.

“We’ve got about 160 wreaths this year,” said Dennis Baptiste, a member of American Legion Post 104 in Taftville and coordinator of the wreath-laying ceremony. “There are 13 more veterans interred here than there were last year.”

The Maine-based nonprofit Wreaths Across America launched in 1992 and has laid more than 220,000 wreaths at 545 locations around the world.

For the first time, Norwich was included on the convoy’s swing through the state as it heads for Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., for annual wreath laying ceremony.

The convoy stopped Wednesday at Chelsea Parade, where wreaths were placed on the war memorials at the grounds.

Saturday’s ceremony coincided with national Wreaths Across America Day at Arlington National Cemetery.

The local ceremony is sponsored by both the Taftville VFW and the Taftville American Legion.